It has been a while and I have been quite content to sit back and look at the responses I have received with my letter Thrill of first trip to Malaysia dampened .

I have looked and read the responses - some positive on my side and others negative and some that are just plain and simply arrogant. The trip I was referring to was actually my first one as stated but I never mentioned all of my return trips, well over six now and all experiences were the same.

I also spent almost three years in Malaysia mainly in KL and also in Seremban which is unheard of for a 'Mat Salleh' or white man to stay at, never mind visit. Malaysians in Seremban simply cannot help but stare when they see a white man in a town, some almost causing accidents with their motorcycles!

I can agree with some comments made regarding the Australian immigration but only to a point where one percent would be correct. Australia is one of the most culturally diverse and tolerant nations in the world with Malaysians and Singaporeans coming here to study and work and they always come back.

That is why Australia is the world's leader in medical standards A lot of those scientists are from abroad from places like Malaysia, China and Singapore who have studied overseas then furthered their skills at our universities and then gone on to make our great nation proud with new medical marvels and discoveries. We of a nation are thrilled to entertain such people.

We do not incite racism which any Malaysian visiting Melbourne where I am currently at would see. I challenge any Malaysian who visits here that who thinks otherwise to let me show them personally. Even my wife commented on our last visit to Southern Cross Station how many Indians, Chinese, etc, were around!

My experience in Malaysia not just from first hand but also by living, working, reading the papers and watching the news which always shows how Malaysia really works. The Indians and the Chinese do actually get a raw deal. Time after time it hits our papers here in Australia with stories like the most recent one which involves a Chinese boy who was 'adopted' by a Malay family and became Muslim as per the law of the land.

Now it seems his father is in fact alive and the boy is back with his biological Chinese family but must now fight the Malaysian government to renounce being Muslim and to continue his family's religion which has been practiced by his ancestors for centuries before.

I am eagerly watching this and wish him and his family godspeed for a just outcome. That is only one of so many we all hear about and only shows that Malaysia is in fact not so tolerant as the officials lead us to believe. The last time I was in Malaysia was when the infamous story came out about the kissing Chinese couple at the KLCC grounds. We all remember that one.

The previous prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, still cannot help himself and must keep himself in the media spotlight by making racist - and to put it bluntly - stupid comments about Australia and inciting the people in Iraq to 'fight the non-believers'. I think the current PM is the best thing that has happened to Malaysia in over 20 years. I just hope he continues to stamp out corruption in both the political circles and the police force and bring Malaysia truly towards that goal you have for 2020.

I have many friends in Malaysia, Muslim, Chinese, Indian and more. Some of my best friends are, in fact, Malays, so forget those comments some will make that I am just an Australian who does not know anything!

The taxi service in Malaysia is another topic I wish to bring up. I agree with another writer here who stated that the taxi drivers are 'more like highway pirates'. That is something that I totally agree with and have first-hand personal knowledge of. There is only one word I can describe for the Malaysian taxi service: 'shonky' .

Malaysia has some beautiful countryside, nice beaches, great people in general a nice KLCC but wait ... the Central Market district in KL needs a lot of work! Rubbish is everywhere on the roads, in the gutters - what is the city council doing? I suggest they implement a recycling programme like our government here in Australia has implemented.

I hope Malaysia gets to that goal for 2020. Somehow though I really doubt it.